Asserting a JSON Response Structure in Laravel

Last updated on by

Asserting a JSON Response Structure in Laravel image

When writing tests for API responses in Laravel, it can be useful to validate the structure of the response. Laravel has the fluent assertJson() method, which you can use to verify JSON values in a given test response:

it('Returns Arizona sports teams', function () {
$this->get('api/teams/arizona')
->assertJson(function (AssertableJson $json) {
$json->has('teams', 3);
$json->has('teams.0', function (AssertableJson $json) {
$json
->where('name', 'Phoenix Suns')
->etc();
});
});
});

Given the above test, here's a static example of the JSON data:

{
"teams": [
{
"name": "Phoenix Suns",
"sport": "Basketball"
},
{
"name": "Arizona Cardinals",
"sport": "Football"
},
{
"name": "Arizona Diamondbacks",
"sport": "Baseball"
}
]
}

Our test validates that three teams are listed in Arizona and that the name property exists on the first record. That's excellent for validating the actual values to sample the response using the powerful JSON assertion APIs in Laravel. To complement those assertions, we can also validate the general structure of the whole response:

$response->assertJsonStructure([
'teams' => [
'*' => ['name', 'sport'],
],
]);

One caveat to the assertJsonStucture() assertion: if we add a new key in the future, this test will continue to pass. If you require more exactness, you might need to reach for the assertExactJson(). For just generalizing a JSON structure to ensure specific properties exist in the response, assertJsonStructure() can give you confidence that the entire structure contains properties you expect.

If you need more extensive assertions around the structure of the JSON, you might also want to reach for whereType() and whereAllType() assertions. Given our earlier example, you could validate the types in your JSON responses using the following:

$response->assertJson(function (AssertableJson $json) {
$json->has('teams', 3);
$json->has('teams.0', function (AssertableJson $json) {
$json->whereAllType([
'name' => 'string',
'sport' => 'string',
]);
});
});

Using whereAllType requires us to define types for each and every key in the teams item, unless you use the above with ->etc():

$json->whereAllType([
'name' => 'string',
// 'sport' => 'string',
])->etc();

As mentioned, the above code doesn't assert the whole response and assumes the other teams have the same structure. You could assert each team in the array, and even use Eloquent factory data to validate the response values match. Typically, combining the above assertions will ensure you have the expected JSON response shape, and you can mix in more complicated assertions where needed. See the Laravel Documentation for more examples and useful JSON assertions.

Paul Redmond photo

Staff writer at Laravel News. Full stack web developer and author.

Filed in:
Cube

Laravel Newsletter

Join 40k+ other developers and never miss out on new tips, tutorials, and more.

Laravel Forge logo

Laravel Forge

Easily create and manage your servers and deploy your Laravel applications in seconds.

Laravel Forge
Tinkerwell logo

Tinkerwell

The must-have code runner for Laravel developers. Tinker with AI, autocompletion and instant feedback on local and production environments.

Tinkerwell
Cut PHP Code Review Time & Bugs into Half with CodeRabbit logo

Cut PHP Code Review Time & Bugs into Half with CodeRabbit

CodeRabbit is an AI-powered code review tool that specializes in PHP and Laravel, running PHPStan and offering automated PR analysis, security checks, and custom review features while remaining free for open-source projects.

Cut PHP Code Review Time & Bugs into Half with CodeRabbit
Join the Mastering Laravel community logo

Join the Mastering Laravel community

Connect with experienced developers in a friendly, noise-free environment. Get insights, share ideas, and find support for your coding challenges. Join us today and elevate your Laravel skills!

Join the Mastering Laravel community
Laravel Idea for PhpStorm logo

Laravel Idea for PhpStorm

Ultimate PhpStorm plugin for Laravel developers, delivering lightning-fast code completion, intelligent navigation, and powerful generation tools to supercharge productivity.

Laravel Idea for PhpStorm
Kirschbaum logo

Kirschbaum

Providing innovation and stability to ensure your web application succeeds.

Kirschbaum
Shift logo

Shift

Running an old Laravel version? Instant, automated Laravel upgrades and code modernization to keep your applications fresh.

Shift
Bacancy logo

Bacancy

Supercharge your project with a seasoned Laravel developer with 4-6 years of experience for just $2500/month. Get 160 hours of dedicated expertise & a risk-free 15-day trial. Schedule a call now!

Bacancy
Lucky Media logo

Lucky Media

Get Lucky Now - the ideal choice for Laravel Development, with over a decade of experience!

Lucky Media
Lunar: Laravel E-Commerce logo

Lunar: Laravel E-Commerce

E-Commerce for Laravel. An open-source package that brings the power of modern headless e-commerce functionality to Laravel.

Lunar: Laravel E-Commerce
LaraJobs logo

LaraJobs

The official Laravel job board

LaraJobs
SaaSykit: Laravel SaaS Starter Kit logo

SaaSykit: Laravel SaaS Starter Kit

SaaSykit is a Multi-tenant Laravel SaaS Starter Kit that comes with all features required to run a modern SaaS. Payments, Beautiful Checkout, Admin Panel, User dashboard, Auth, Ready Components, Stats, Blog, Docs and more.

SaaSykit: Laravel SaaS Starter Kit
MongoDB logo

MongoDB

Enhance your PHP applications with the powerful integration of MongoDB and Laravel, empowering developers to build applications with ease and efficiency. Support transactional, search, analytics and mobile use cases while using the familiar Eloquent APIs. Discover how MongoDB's flexible, modern database can transform your Laravel applications.

MongoDB

The latest

View all →
Enum-Powered Route Permissions in Laravel image

Enum-Powered Route Permissions in Laravel

Read article
NativePHP for iOS image

NativePHP for iOS

Read article
Using Relative Date Helpers in Laravel's Query Builder image

Using Relative Date Helpers in Laravel's Query Builder

Read article
Fine-tuning Pagination Links in Laravel image

Fine-tuning Pagination Links in Laravel

Read article
Relative Date Helpers in Laravel 11.42 image

Relative Date Helpers in Laravel 11.42

Read article
Smart Route Detection in Laravel image

Smart Route Detection in Laravel

Read article